Polymers used in personal care applications, such as hair styling and hair fixing, have conventionally been made using synthetic materials. In order for the polymers to be suitable in such personal care applications, they must be soluble in alcohol based systems, and in the case of aerosol based hair sprays, they must also be compatible with the propellant. Conventional synthetic polymers are generally inexpensive and provide acceptable performance; however, because they are not made from renewable resources, they are not sustainable or suffer from other undesirable properties. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,783 discloses the use of ethyl cellulose ether based polymers for use in hair preparations. However, as described in this patent, the ethyl cellulose ethers are sulfated using a sulfating agent to produce sulfated alkali ether resins. The use of sulfate-containing ingredients is increasingly becoming undesirable in personal care compositions, as such ingredients are generally considered to lead to skin/scalp irritation, hair loss and/or hair thinning. Further, consumers are increasingly reluctant to purchase sulfate-containing hair care products due to potential safety concerns and allergic reactions towards such chemicals.
Accordingly, there is a need for personal care polymers made from renewable sources that provide equal to or better performance at comparable costs than their synthetic alternatives and that are soluble in alcohol based systems, such as ethanol based systems, that are also made from non-sulfate-containing materials. Further, such personal care polymers must also, if utilized in aerosol based hairsprays, they must also be compatible with propellants, such as dimethyl ether.